FSBA Session Spotlight — March 7, 2018

• This afternoon, legislative leaders announced that an agreement has been reached on the $87 billion state budget. Because this is a day later than would be necessary to adjourn on Friday, it is expected that the Session will be extended and the budget will be subject to a final vote on Sunday or Monday. As of this writing, only preliminary documents have been released for review. We will provide details as soon as possible after the published documents are made available. Please keep in mind that the budget and related implementing bill will be in the form of a Conference Report which may be debated and voted upon, but cannot be amended.

In other important news, after long hours of debate and commentary, the House approved the public safety bill — SB 7026 — on a vote of 67-50 (the Senate vote was 20-18). In a brief press availability after the Cabinet meeting, Governor Scott said he would review the bill and seek input from the families of those slain in the school shooting. He also restated his concerns about arming school personnel. Please click on the links below for our report on the bills that were considered today and for a preview of the bills that will be considered tomorrow.

[toggle title=”Today’s Happenings – March 7, 2018“]

In the House Session:

SB 7026 – Public Safety by Rules – READ 3^RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE; PASSED THE LEGISLATURE
The bill addresses the crisis of gun violence, including but not limited to, gun violence on school campuses. The bill provides law enforcement and the courts with the tools to enhance public safety by temporarily restricting firearm possession by a person who is undergoing a mental health crisis and when there is evidence of a threat of violence, and by promoting school safety and enhanced coordination between education and law enforcement entities at the state and local level.

With regard to keeping firearms out of the hands of those suffering from mental illness, the bill:

• Authorizes a law enforcement officer who is taking a person into custody for an involuntary examination under the Baker Act to seize and hold a firearm or ammunition from the person for 24 hours after the person is released and does not have a risk protection order against them or is the subject of a firearm disability.
• Prohibits a person who has been adjudicated mentally defective or who has been committed to a mental institution from owning or possessing a firearm until a court orders otherwise.
• Creates a process for a law enforcement officer or law enforcement agency to petition a court for a risk protection order to temporarily prevent persons who are at high risk of harming themselves or others from accessing firearms when a person poses a significant danger to himself or herself or others, including significant danger as a result of a mental health crisis or violent behavior, and:
  • Allows a court to issue a risk protection order for up to 12 months.
  • Requires the surrender of all firearms and ammunition if a risk protection order is issued.
  • Provides a process for a risk protection order to be vacated or extended.

With regard to firearms, the bill:

• Requires a three-day waiting period for all firearms (rather than only for handguns) or until the background check is completed, whichever is later.
• Provides exceptions for the purchase of all firearms for concealed weapons permit holders, and, for the purchase of firearms other than handguns, provides an exception for:
  • Individuals who have completed a 16 hour hunter safety course; or
  • Law enforcement officers, correctional officers and service members (military and national guard)
• Prohibits a person under 21 years of age from purchasing a firearm and prohibits licensed firearm dealers, importers, and manufacturers, from selling a firearm, except in the case of a member of the military, or a law enforcement or correctional officer when purchasing a rifle or shotgun. (Persons under 21 years of age are already prohibited from purchasing a handgun under federal law.)
• Prohibits a bump-fire stock from being imported, transferred, distributed, sold, keeping for sale, offering for sale, possessing, or giving away within the state.

With regard to improving school safety, the bill:

• Establishes the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission to investigate system failures in the Parkland school shooting and prior mass violence incidents, and develop recommendations for system improvements.
• Codifies the Office of Safe Schools within the Florida Department of Education (DOE) and which will service as a central repository for the best practices, training standards, and compliance regarding school safety and security.
• Authorizes the sheriff, if he/she so chooses, to establish a Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program to aid in the prevention or abatement of active assailant incidents on school premises.
  • The school district may participate in the Guardian Program if it is available in their county and school employees may volunteer to participate in the necessary training.
  • Individuals who exclusively perform classroom duties as classroom teachers as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a) are excluded from participation in the Guardian Program.
  • A school guardian has no authority to act in any law enforcement capacity except to the extent necessary to prevent or abate an active assailant incident on a school premises.
  • School employees who volunteer to participate in the Guardian Program must:
    • Hold a valid license to carry a concealed weapon issued under s. 790.06, F.S.
    • Complete 132 total hours of comprehensive firearm safety and proficiency training conducted by Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission-certified instructors.
    • Pass a psychological evaluation
    • Submit to and pass an initial drug test and subsequent random drug tests.
    • Successfully complete ongoing training, weapon inspection, and firearm qualification on at least an annual basis.
    • Successfully complete at least 12 hours of a certified nationally recognized diversity training program.
• Requires each district school board and school district superintendent to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to assign one or more safe-school officers at each school facility.
• Requires each district school board to designate a district school safety specialist to serve as the district’s primary point of public contact for public school safety functions.
• Requires each school district to designate school safety specialists and a threat assessment team at each school, and requires the team to operate under the district school safety specialist’s direction.
• Requires the DOE to contract for the development of a Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool which will assist school districts in conducting security assessments to identify threats and vulnerabilities.
• Creates the mental health assistance allocation to assist school districts in establishing or expanding school-based mental health care.

The bill also:

• Provides that the cost per student station also does not include the cost for securing entries, checkpoint construction, lighting specifically designed for entry point security, security cameras, automatic locks and locking devices, electronic security systems, fencing designed to prevent intruder entry into a building, bullet-proof glass, or other capital construction items approved by the school safety specialist to ensure building security for new educational, auxiliary, or ancillary facilities and specifies that the costs for these items must be below 2% per student station.
• Prohibits a person from making, posting, or transmitting a threat to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism.
• Requires DCF to contract for community action treatment teams to provider behavioral health and support services.
• Requires FDLE to procure a mobile app that would allow students and the community to relay information anonymously concerning unsafe, dangerous threats. The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglass recommended that the program be named “FortifyFL”

The legislation appropriates $400 million to implement the bill provisions, including the following:

• Over $69 million to the DOE to fund the mental health assistance allocation;
• $1 million for the design and construction of a memorial honoring those who lost their lives on February 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
• Over $25 million for replacing building 12 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
• Over $67 million for sheriff’s offices who decide to establish a school marshal program.
• Over $97 million for the safe schools allocation.
• Over $98 million to implement a grant program for improving and hardening the physical security of school buildings.
• $18.3 million to DCF for additional mobile crisis teams to ensure reasonable access among all counties.

SB 7024 – Public Records / Victim of a Crime of Mass Violence by Rules – READ 3^RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE; PASSED THE LEGISLATURE
The bill makes the address of a victim of an incident of mass violence exempt from public records disclosure and copying requirements. The bill defines “an incident of mass violence” as an incident in which four or more people, other than the perpetrator, are severely injured or killed by an intentional and indiscriminate act of violence. A victim is considered to be a person killed or injured during an incident of mass violence.

SB 1940 – Public Records and Public Meetings/School Safety by Galvano – READ 3^RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE; PASSED THE LEGISLATURE
The bill creates public records and public meetings exemptions for certain information related to school safety. Specifically, the bill provides the following exemptions:

• Exemptions from public records requirements for the identity of a reporting party and any information received through the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool which is held by the Department of Law Enforcement, law enforcement agencies, or school officials.
• Exemption from public meetings requirements for portions of meetings of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission at which exempt or confidential and exempt information is discussed.
• Exemption from public records requirements for information that would identify whether a particular individual has been appointed as a safe-school officer.

SB 88 – High School Graduation Requirements by Hukill – READ 3^RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE
The bill eliminates financial literacy instruction from the one-half credit economics requirement and establishes a one-half credit financial literacy course as an additional elective. The one-half credit financial literacy course must include topics such as opening and managing a bank account; balancing a checkbook; completing a loan application; computing federal income taxes; simple contracts; types of savings and investments; and state and federal finance laws.

The bill also:

• Renames the Competency-Based Education Pilot Program to the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program.
• Allows any district in the state to submit an application to DOE to participate.
• Authorizes districts participating in the pilot program to use an alternative interpretation of letter grades to measure student success in grades 6-12. The alternate system must meet specific requirements and be approved by the district school board.
• Allows districts to determine and award one full credit toward high school graduation based on the student’s mastery of core content and skills without meeting the current minimum requirement of 135 or 120 hours of bona fide instruction to award one full credit.
• Requires the statewide articulation agreement to ensure fair and equitable access for high school graduates with mastery-based, nontraditional diplomas and transcripts.

The bill also:

• Defines computer science and includes computer coding and programming in the definition.
• Requires the Florida Department of Education (DOE) to identify computer science courses in the Course Code Directory and on its website by July 1, 2018.
• Requires Florida Virtual School (FLVS) to offer computer science courses so students enrolled in a school without a computer science course can receive computer science instruction.
• Requires school districts to offer students access to computer science courses through FLVS or by other means.
• Establishes, subject to appropriations:
  • A grant program to help teachers earn a computer science educator certificate or industry certification and for paying associated examination fees.
  • A bonus program to award qualifying teachers, on a yearly basis for up to 3 years, who teach computer science courses identified by the DOE.
• Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules to implement these provisions.

[NOTE: Because the bill was amended on 2^nd Reading in the House, the bill will be returned to the Senate for consideration.]

In the Senate Session:

HB 7045 – Date for Convening the 2020 Legislative Session by Rules & Policy – READ 2^ND TIME; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 3/8/18
The bill requires the 2020 regular session of the Legislature to convene on Tuesday, January 14, 2020.

SB 1056 – Computer Science Instruction by Passidomo – READ 2^ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 495; SB 1056 LAID ON THE TABLE
HB 495 – Education/Price Level Index by Diaz – SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 1056; READ 2^ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 3/8/18
The bill:

• Expands access to computer science courses by:
  • Requiring middle schools and high schools to offer computer science courses.
  • Requiring computer science courses that meet the specified definition to be identified in the Course Code Directory and on the Department of Education’s (DOE) website.
• Creates opportunities for teachers to be certified and trained to teach computer science courses, and requires the DOE to award funding, subject to legislative appropriation, to a school district or consortium of school districts to deliver or facilitate training for educators to earn a certificate in computer science or specified industry certification, or to pay fees for examinations that lead to a credential.
• Provides, subject to legislative appropriation, the following bonuses to a public school educator evaluated as effective or highly effective, or is newly hired:
  • $1,000 after each year teaching a computer science course, for up to three years, if the educator holds an educator certificate in computer science or has passed the computer science subject area examination and holds an adjunct certificate.
  • $500 after each year teaching a specified course, for up to three years, if the educator holds an industry certification associated with a computer science course.

In addition, the bill revises the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) to provide:

• Effective July 1, 2018, instructional personnel who are authorized to extend DROP participation beyond the 60-month period must have a termination date that is the last day of the last calendar month of the school year within the DROP extension granted by the employer. If, on July 1, 2018, the member’s DROP participation has already been extended for the maximum 36 calendar months and the extension period concludes before the end of the school year, the member’s DROP participation may be extended through the last day of the last calendar month of that school year. The employer must notify the division of the change in termination date and the additional period of DROP participation for the affected instructional personnel.
• Administrative personnel in grades K-12, as defined in s. 1012.01(3), who have a DROP termination date on or after July 1, 2018, may be authorized to extend DROP participation beyond the initial 60 calendar month period if the administrative personnel’s termination date is before the end of the school year. Such administrative personnel may have DROP participation extended until the last day of the last calendar month of the school year in which their original DROP termination date occurred if a date other than the last day of the last calendar month of the school year is designated. The employer must notify the division of the change in termination date and the additional period of DROP participation for the affected administrative personnel.

In addition, the bill modifies provisions relating to educator certification requirements, school safety, and misconduct by authority figures against students. Specifically, the bill:

• Expands the applicability of certain employment disqualification criteria to include all positions that require direct contact with students.
• Grants the Department of Education (DOE) and the Education Practices Commission additional authority to enforce the educator certification requirements and impose penalties against persons who do not comply with certification requirements.
• Requires an educator who has been placed on probation to immediately notify the investigative office in the DOE upon separation from employment in any public or private position requiring a Florida educator’s certificate.
• Deems offenses against students by authority figures as a second-degree felony.
• Adds a school bus to the definition of “school,” to apply to the provisions in law regarding trespass on school grounds or facilities.
• Revises standards of ethical conduct for instructional personnel and school administrators to require training to cover misconduct that involves specified conduct that would result in disqualification from educator certification or employment.
• Requires a school district to:
  • File in writing with the DOE all legally sufficient complaints against teachers and administrators, regardless of whether the subject of the complaint is still a district employee.
  • Immediately notify the DOE if the subject of a legally sufficient complaint of misconduct affecting the health, safety, or welfare of a student resigns or is terminated before the conclusion of the district investigation.
• Requires a district school superintendent to:
  • Report misconduct by instructional personnel or school administrators that would result in a disqualification from educator certification or employment to the law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction over the conduct. Provides that a superintendent who knowingly fails to report misconduct to law enforcement agencies must forfeit his or her salary for one year after the date of such failure to act.
  • Notify the parent of a student who was subjected to or affected by specified misconduct within a specified timeframe.
• Requires the resignation or termination of an employee before the conclusion of an alleged misconduct investigation affecting the health, safety, or welfare of a student to be clearly indicated in the employee’s personnel file.

In addition, the bill revises provisions relating to the statewide, standardized assessment program to provide:

• A student enrolled in an Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) course who takes the respective AP, IB, or AICE assessment and earns the minimum score necessary to earn college credit meets the requirements of the statewide, standardized assessment program and does not have to take the EOC assessment for the course.
• Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, a student’s performance on the statewide, standardized Algebra I EOC, Civics EOC, Biology I EOC, and Geometry EOC assessment constitutes 10% (rather than 30%) of the student’s final course grade.  

[NOTE: Today’s amendments to HB 495 began with a strike-all amendment that restored the original text of SB 1056 relating to computer science instruction. Other amendments added provisions from SB 1240 revising participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP), added provisions from SB 1548 relating to misconduct by authority figures and related certification requirements, and added provisions revising end-of-course assessment requirements.  The short summary above reflects the provisions of HB 495 as amended.]

SB 260 – Students with Disabilities in Public Schools by Book – READ 2^ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 63; SB 260 LAID ON THE TABLE
HB 63 – Students with Disabilities in Public Schools by Edwards – SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 260; READ 2^ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 3/8/18
The bill revises the use of restraint techniques on certain students with disabilities, prohibits placing such students in seclusion, and specifies responsibilities for school districts, schools, and the Commissioner of Education (commissioner). Specifically, the bill:

• Defines student to mean a student with a disability.
• Defines exclusionary and nonexclusionary time; establishes conditions under which a student may be placed in exclusionary or nonexclusionary time; and specifies related documentation, reporting and monitoring of such incidents.
• Prohibits the use of specified physical restraint techniques by school personnel on students.
• Requires each school district to:
  • Develop policies and procedures regarding physical safety and security of all students and school personnel.
  • Report procedures for training related to restraint and the bill specifies the components of such training.
  • Publicly post its policies on all emergency procedures, including the district’s policies on the use of restraint and seclusion.
• Requires a school to conduct a review of incidents of restraint, and related interventions and school personnel training.
• Requires redacted copies of documentation related to the use of restraint and exclusionary and nonexclusionary time to be updated monthly and made available to the public through the Department of Education’s website by October 1, 2018.
• Requires the commissioner to develop recommendations to incorporate instruction regarding emotional or behavioral disabilities into continuing education and inservice training requirements for instructional personnel.

[NOTE: Today’s amendment to HB 63 restored the original text of SB 260.]

SB 1254 – Early Learning by Passidomo – READ 2^ND TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 1091; SB 1254 LAID ON THE TABLE
HB 1091 – Early Learning by Grall – SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 1254; READ 2^ND TIME; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 3/8/18
The bill modifies provisions relating to the school readiness program. Specifically, the bill:

• Requires the Office of Early Learning (OEL) to:
  • Adopt a program assessment that measures the quality of teacher-child interactions including classroom organization and specified supports.
  • Provide a differential payment of up to 10 percent for each care level and unit of child care for a child care provider that meets specified requirements.
  • Revise the statewide provider contract to include contracted slots, quality improvement strategies, and program assessment requirements.
  • Modify the annual report to include specified data regarding school readiness program provider compliance with requirements relating to the program assessment.
• Revises Early Learning Coalitions (ELC) plans to add information regarding:
  • An assessment of local priorities based on the needs of families and provider capacity using available community data.
  • Local eligibility priorities for children, the use of contracted slots in the ELC’s procedures for program implementation, a payment rate schedule, and a description of quality improvement strategies in the ELC’s quality activities and services.
• Modifies school readiness program eligibility, provider standards, and funding to:
  • Revise the child eligibility priorities for participation in the school readiness program based on the ELC’s local priorities; and also revise the definition of “at-risk” children for eligibility purposes
  • Revise provider eligibility requirements to specify that the providers must participate in a program assessment that measures the quality of teacher-child interactions.
  • Authorize the award of grants and financial supports to providers and instructors to also meet program assessment requirements.
• Appropriates $6 million for the 2018-2019 fiscal year from the Child Care and Development Block Grant Trust Fund to the OEL to implement the program assessment for school readiness program providers.

[NOTE: The House and Senate versions of this bill are identical.]

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[toggle title=”Coming up Tomorrow – March 8, 2018“]

Please note that the meeting listed below may be viewed via live webcast on the Florida Channel. For real-time updates, please click HERE to access our Twitter feed.

The House will be in Session, 12:00 pm – completion of business, but, as of this writing, there are no bills of special interest to school boards on the agenda.  However, please keep in mind that, at this point in the Legislative Session, the chambers may depart from their agenda to take up bills that arrive from the other chamber in Messages.

The Senate will be in Session, 12:00 pm – completion of business, to consider the following items and others:
Bills on 3^rd Reading:

HB 7045 – Date for Convening the 2020 Legislative Session by Rules & Policy
The bill requires the 2020 regular session of the Legislature to convene on Tuesday, January 14, 2020.

HB 495 – Education/Price Level Index by Diaz
The bill:

• Expands access to computer science courses by:
  • Requiring middle schools and high schools to offer computer science courses.
  • Requiring computer science courses that meet the specified definition to be identified in the Course Code Directory and on the Department of Education’s (DOE) website.
• Creates opportunities for teachers to be certified and trained to teach computer science courses, and requires the DOE to award funding, subject to legislative appropriation, to a school district or consortium of school districts to deliver or facilitate training for educators to earn a certificate in computer science or specified industry certification, or to pay fees for examinations that lead to a credential.
• Provides, subject to legislative appropriation, the following bonuses to a public school educator evaluated as effective or highly effective, or is newly hired:
  • $1,000 after each year teaching a computer science course, for up to three years, if the educator holds an educator certificate in computer science or has passed the computer science subject area examination and holds an adjunct certificate.
  • $500 after each year teaching a specified course, for up to three years, if the educator holds an industry certification associated with a computer science course.

In addition, the bill revises the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) to provide:

• Effective July 1, 2018, instructional personnel who are authorized to extend DROP participation beyond the 60-month period must have a termination date that is the last day of the last calendar month of the school year within the DROP extension granted by the employer. If, on July 1, 2018, the member’s DROP participation has already been extended for the maximum 36 calendar months and the extension period concludes before the end of the school year, the member’s DROP participation may be extended through the last day of the last calendar month of that school year. The employer must notify the division of the change in termination date and the additional period of DROP participation for the affected instructional personnel.
• Administrative personnel in grades K-12, as defined in s. 1012.01(3), who have a DROP termination date on or after July 1, 2018, may be authorized to extend DROP participation beyond the initial 60 calendar month period if the administrative personnel’s termination date is before the end of the school year. Such administrative personnel may have DROP participation extended until the last day of the last calendar month of the school year in which their original DROP termination date occurred if a date other than the last day of the last calendar month of the school year is designated. The employer must notify the division of the change in termination date and the additional period of DROP participation for the affected administrative personnel.

In addition, the bill modifies provisions relating to educator certification requirements, school safety, and misconduct by authority figures against students. Specifically, the bill:

• Expands the applicability of certain employment disqualification criteria to include all positions that require direct contact with students.
• Grants the Department of Education (DOE) and the Education Practices Commission additional authority to enforce the educator certification requirements and impose penalties against persons who do not comply with certification requirements.
• Requires an educator who has been placed on probation to immediately notify the investigative office in the DOE upon separation from employment in any public or private position requiring a Florida educator’s certificate.
• Deems offenses against students by authority figures as a second-degree felony.
• Adds a school bus to the definition of “school,” to apply to the provisions in law regarding trespass on school grounds or facilities.
• Revises standards of ethical conduct for instructional personnel and school administrators to require training to cover misconduct that involves specified conduct that would result in disqualification from educator certification or employment.
• Requires a school district to:
  • File in writing with the DOE all legally sufficient complaints against teachers and administrators, regardless of whether the subject of the complaint is still a district employee.
  • Immediately notify the DOE if the subject of a legally sufficient complaint of misconduct affecting the health, safety, or welfare of a student resigns or is terminated before the conclusion of the district investigation.
• Requires a district school superintendent to:
  • Report misconduct by instructional personnel or school administrators that would result in a disqualification from educator certification or employment to the law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction over the conduct. Provides that a superintendent who knowingly fails to report misconduct to law enforcement agencies must forfeit his or her salary for one year after the date of such failure to act.
  • Notify the parent of a student who was subjected to or affected by specified misconduct within a specified timeframe.
• Requires the resignation or termination of an employee before the conclusion of an alleged misconduct investigation affecting the health, safety, or welfare of a student to be clearly indicated in the employee’s personnel file.

In addition, the bill revises provisions relating to the statewide, standardized assessment program to provide:

• A student enrolled in an Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) course who takes the respective AP, IB, or AICE assessment and earns the minimum score necessary to earn college credit meets the requirements of the statewide, standardized assessment program and does not have to take the EOC assessment for the course.
• Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, a student’s performance on the statewide, standardized Algebra I EOC, Civics EOC, Biology I EOC, and Geometry EOC assessment constitutes 10% (rather than 30%) of the student’s final course grade.  

HB 63 – Students with Disabilities in Public Schools by Edwards
The bill revises the use of restraint techniques on certain students with disabilities, prohibits placing such students in seclusion, and specifies responsibilities for school districts, schools, and the Commissioner of Education (commissioner). Specifically, the bill:

• Defines student to mean a student with a disability.
• Defines exclusionary and nonexclusionary time; establishes conditions under which a student may be placed in exclusionary or nonexclusionary time; and specifies related documentation, reporting and monitoring of such incidents.
• Prohibits the use of specified physical restraint techniques by school personnel on students.
• Requires each school district to:
  • Develop policies and procedures regarding physical safety and security of all students and school personnel.
  • Report procedures for training related to restraint and the bill specifies the components of such training.
  • Publicly post its policies on all emergency procedures, including the district’s policies on the use of restraint and seclusion.
• Requires a school to conduct a review of incidents of restraint, and related interventions and school personnel training.
• Requires redacted copies of documentation related to the use of restraint and exclusionary and nonexclusionary time to be updated monthly and made available to the public through the Department of Education’s website by October 1, 2018.
• Requires the commissioner to develop recommendations to incorporate instruction regarding emotional or behavioral disabilities into continuing education and inservice training requirements for instructional personnel.

HB 1091 – Early Learning by Grall
The bill modifies provisions relating to the school readiness program. Specifically, the bill:

• Requires the Office of Early Learning (OEL) to:
  • Adopt a program assessment that measures the quality of teacher-child interactions including classroom organization and specified supports.
  • Provide a differential payment of up to 10 percent for each care level and unit of child care for a child care provider that meets specified requirements.
  • Revise the statewide provider contract to include contracted slots, quality improvement strategies, and program assessment requirements.
  • Modify the annual report to include specified data regarding school readiness program provider compliance with requirements relating to the program assessment.
• Revises Early Learning Coalitions (ELC) plans to add information regarding:
  • An assessment of local priorities based on the needs of families and provider capacity using available community data.
  • Local eligibility priorities for children, the use of contracted slots in the ELC’s procedures for program implementation, a payment rate schedule, and a description of quality improvement strategies in the ELC’s quality activities and services.
• Modifies school readiness program eligibility, provider standards, and funding to:
  • Revise the child eligibility priorities for participation in the school readiness program based on the ELC’s local priorities; and also revise the definition of “at-risk” children for eligibility purposes
  • Revise provider eligibility requirements to specify that the providers must participate in a program assessment that measures the quality of teacher-child interactions.
  • Authorize the award of grants and financial supports to providers and instructors to also meet program assessment requirements.
• Appropriates $6 million for the 2018-2019 fiscal year from the Child Care and Development Block Grant Trust Fund to the OEL to implement the program assessment for school readiness program providers.

Bills on 2^nd Reading:
SB 310 – Threats to Kill or do Bodily Injury by Steube
The bill:

• Prohibits a person from making a threat to kill or do great bodily injury in writing or other record, including an electronic record, and posting or transmitting the threat in a manner that would allow another person to view it.
• Decreases the offense from a second degree felony to a third degree felony and changes the offense from a Level 6 to a Level 4 in the Criminal Punishment Code Offense Severity Ranking Chart, which decreases the offense’s sentencing points from 36 points to 22 points.
• Exempts providers of an interactive computer service, communications service, commercial mobile service, or information service from liability.

SB 856 – High School Graduation Requirements by Montford
The bill authorizes students to use apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program credit to meet specified credit requirements for high school graduation. Specifically, the bill:

• Authorizes a student who earns credit upon completion of an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program registered with the Department of Education to use such credit to meet the credit requirements for:
  • Fine or performing arts, speech and debate, or practical arts; or
  • Electives.
• Requires the State Board of Education to approve and identify in the Course Code Directory the apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs from which a student may use earned credit to meet the specified credit requirements for high school graduation.

SB 1548 – K-12 Student Safety by Book
The bill modifies Florida law regarding educator certification requirements and district school board duties relating to school safety and prohibits misconduct by authority figures against students. Specifically, the bill:

• Expands the applicability of certain employment disqualification criteria to include all positions that require direct contact with students.
• Grants the Department of Education (DOE) and the Education Practices Commission additional authority to enforce the educator certification requirements and impose penalties against persons who do not comply with certification requirements.
• Requires an educator who has been placed on probation to immediately notify the investigative office in the DOE upon separation from employment in any public or private position requiring a Florida educator’s certificate.
• Deems offenses against students by authority figures as a second-degree felony.
• Adds a school bus to the definition of “school,” to apply to the provisions in law regarding trespass on school grounds or facilities.
• Revises standards of ethical conduct for instructional personnel and school administrators to require training to cover misconduct that involves specified conduct that would result in disqualification from educator certification or employment.
• Requires a school district to:
  • File in writing with the DOE all legally sufficient complaints against teachers and administrators, regardless of whether the subject of the complaint is still a district employee.
  • Immediately notify the DOE if the subject of a legally sufficient complaint of misconduct affecting the health, safety, or welfare of a student resigns or is terminated before the conclusion of the district investigation.
• Requires a district school superintendent to:
  • Report misconduct by instructional personnel or school administrators that would result in a disqualification from educator certification or employment to the law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction over the conduct. Provides that a superintendent who knowingly fails to report misconduct to law enforcement agencies must forfeit his or her salary for one year after the date of such failure to act.
  • Notify the parent of a student who was subjected to or affected by specified misconduct within a specified timeframe.
• Requires the resignation or termination of an employee before the conclusion of an alleged misconduct investigation affecting the health, safety, or welfare of a student to be clearly indicated in the employee’s personnel file.

SB 732 – Home Education by Baxley
The bill modifies requirements related to home education programs, school attendance, and the Florida Partnership for Minority and Underrepresented Student Achievement. Specifically, the bill:

• Modifies the home education program to:
  • Limit the information a parent must provide to establish and maintain a home education program unless the home education program student chooses to participate in a district program or service.
  • Authorize school districts to provide home education program students access to career and technical education courses and programs.
  • Require school districts to make industry certifications and national and statewide assessments available to home education program students.
• Requires a home education program student to register his or her intent to participate in an extracurricular activity prior to participating in the activity.
• Clarifies the academic requirements that home education program students must meet in order to participate in dual enrollment programs by:
  • Exempting a home education program student from maintaining a specific high school grade point average if he or she has meets a minimum score on a common placement test.
  • Requiring a home education program student to maintain a minimum GPA established by the postsecondary institution for continued enrollment in a dual enrollment course.
• Clarifies school attendance procedures to:
  • Prohibit the district school superintendent from requiring evidence of a child’s age if the child attends a school or program specified in law.
  • Authorize the district school superintendent to refer instances of nonenrollment to a child study team for intervention.
  • Require school districts to implement interventions for nonenrollment and nonattendance prior to criminal prosecution.
• Modifies the Florida Partnership for Minority and Underrepresented Student Achievement to:
  • Update the name of the preliminary ACT to the PreACT.
  • Add the ACT and the PreACT to specified assessments included in databases containing assessment data, to which the Department of Education must provide access for evaluation purposes.

In addition, the bill:

• Revises the meaning of a rare disease within the definition of the term “disability” for purposes of the Gardiner Scholarship Program and:
  • Revises eligible expenditures for the program;
  • Revises requirements for private schools that participate in the program;
  • Specifies that the failure or refusal, rather than the inability of, a private school to meet certain requirements constitutes a basis for program ineligibility.
• Establishes reading scholarship accounts for specified purposes and:
  • Provides for eligibility for scholarships;
  • Provides duties of the DOE and school district obligations;
  • Provides that maximum funding shall be specified in the General Appropriations Act; and
  • Specifies that no state liability arises from the award or use of such an account.
• Renames the Competency-Based Education Pilot Program as the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program; and
• Authorizes a district school board participating in the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program to award credit based on student mastery of certain content and skills; and:
• Authorizes a district school board participating in the Pilot Program to use an alternative interpretation of letter grades for certain students;
• Authorizes public school districts to submit applications for the program;
• Authorizes participating school districts to amend their applications to include alternatives for the award credits and interpretation of letter grades; and
• Requires the statewide articulation agreement to ensure fair and equitable access for students with mastery-based, nontraditional diplomas and transcripts.

SB 1532 – Early Learning Coalitions by Stargel
The bill authorizes an early learning coalition to refuse to contract with a school readiness program provider if the provider has been cited for a class I violation. A class I violation is the most serious in nature and poses an imminent threat to a child including abuse or neglect that could result in death or serious harm to the health, safety or well-being of a child.

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